The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG Announced For Release In 2013

The long-rumoured Elder Scrolls MMO was confirmed this morning by Game Informer magazine. Developed by an internal Zenimax team called Zenimax Online Studios, The Elder Scrolls Online will take place a millennium before the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

While Game Informer’s report doesn’t list the entire set of locales that you’ll be able to visit, Tamriel, Elsweyr and Skyrim are mentioned. As expected, The Elder Scrolls Online will combine the exploration-heavy focus of The Elder Scrolls games with social elements found in MMORPGs.

The Elder Scrolls Online is being directed by MMO veteran, Matt Firor, who has previously worked on Dark Age of Camelot, a well-received MMO by Mythic. The game is scheduled for release in 2013 for the PC and MAC.

If they don’t improve the combat, then I see no reason to play this game over Dark Souls.

Roubjon

Skyrim gives people mindless exploration and the satisfaction of constantly leveling up/completing quests/getting new equipment. Your character is always growing and exploring, which is why people like the game so much, and it’s why I love it too. It allows you to get completely immersed in the world. Dark Souls isn’t like this at all. They are two completely different games.

Do I enjoy Dark Souls more than Skyrim? Yes. That’s because I like what Dark Souls provides more than Skyrim.

By my calculations, I should have a modern day computer by 2013, so this is just amazing news! （*＾ワ＾*）

I’ve always wanted an MMO with the absolutely huge exploration of Elder Scrolls, so I’m very excited, definitely! (◕‿◕✿)

Ereek

My dearest wish would be that it’s going to take place during the events of 2920, The Last Year of the First Era (one of my favorite series in the Lore; I suggest everyone read it if they can), given that takes place about 1,000 -1,100ish to be exact, not counting any Dragon Breaks – years before Skyrim and deals with Molag Bal, who is also mentioned in the original article, to some extent. Namely: it’s the events that stopped casual summoning of Daedric Princes and led to the fall of Morrowind.

More likely is that it’s going to take place some time early in the Second Era.

‘Cept mine, I think it’s a terrible idea and a sign that it’s just milking a franchise to what peer pressure will get away with. Good thing I’m not the majority here, though.

And I HAVE III and IV…I’m just not so sold on the franchise as of late. Or the community surrounding it with the arrow to the knee jokes that we’re sure to have rampant in such a game as this. Or other memes that didn’t deserve to be created and killed in the same day.

So yea, bad idea. Opinion, of course, but I have my reasons for not wanting to be involved in something like this.

Pretty much what Apache_Chief says. It’s barely been milked out and this is coming from someone that doesn’t like the series.

SirRichard

While the prospect of expansions for Cyrodiil, Morrowind, Hammerfell and god knows where else makes me all tingly, the problem is if it can last that long before it becomes just another tragic corpse impaled outside the Warcraft cavern.

Don’t normally play MMOs, but I’m tempted to give it a shot when it rolls out.

Well… it goes against a good deal of what the elderscrolls at its core is actually about. but I wont bore you with my lorecraft and fanboyism.

My ignorable prediction. It will get gobbled up at release, probably win a few awards, then lose subscribers like rats from a sinking ship when people get tired of playing it a month in because a)it lacks the rigid structure of conventional mmos that push you forward b)it has all of the bugs of an elderscrolls game due to the open nature of gameplay, I mean lets face it, balanced combat has never been a forte of the elderscrolls system. You can win the game by levelling sneak and exploiting out a weapon of infinite awesomeness. c) it lacks the openness to do all those things that you can do in an SP game that wouldnt work in an MMO.

take your pick the reasons are numerous.

malek86

But you are starting from the assumption that this game will be like some sort of Skyrim Online. It’s more likely that they will change it so that it works better as a MMO.

Of course, whether it can be successful, that’s a different matter (which will also depend on how many people want to just give up on WoW). However, Elder Scrolls is certainly a powerful brand now, which at least gives them a fighting chance.

theoriginaled

Well… no, I am assuming that they will change it so that it works better as an MMO thus point c. The assumption I am making is that it can go two ways, either people will be disappointed that it isnt as open as TES sp or disappointed that it is too open for an MMO and the balance is off and its glitchy. Im assuming that it will fall into a middle ground between the two where they attempt to accomplish too much and accomplish nothing.

riceisnice

The future of this game is completely unpredictable.

malek86

Considering the general scope of MMOs, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to run the entirety of Tamriel… although it would be probably smaller than the two regions in Daggerfall.

ffboi7

I hope since this takes a millennium before Skyrim that the Akaviri race is available to play :D that would be so awesome :p then we can see how they were wiped off the face of the planet by Serpent Vampires.

If it has a monthly fee, I’m not touching it. The series is just okay to me since it’s full of all the fantasy cliches that make me groan in boredom but it’s still fun to explore the world and blow up towns people with a fireball. Beyond that I don’t see it being all that interesting in combat or story, that and like all Bes games I fear it will be so swamped with bugs it’d be unplayable.

I hope this isn’t another one of the single player cornerstone series biting the dust.

I’m happy to play MMOs, but almost all seem to be the same game with the exception of EVE Online. If they’re really going to do this I hope they come up with something really different to the current status quo, but I honestly don’t like their chances.

WyattEpp

Two things:
1) I would much rather tool about in the bizarre wilds of Morrowind than the drabness of Skyrim.
2) I would much rather have normal co-op multiplayer in the the above than MMO in any TES.

Daryl Surat also pointed out on Twitter that, “Seeing as Bethesda is like Creative Assembly in that they rely on the modders to un-screw up their games, Elder Scrolls Online is a bad idea”, which I have a lot of trouble disagreeing with.

leadintea

While I’m intrigued by this game, I can’t help but agree with what you just said.

killer_rabbit

Yeah I agree with you in both points.

Morrowind has this unique world that makes me want to explore everything because of its bizarreness. The best Bethesda ever did of re-creating a comparable unique world is in Oblivion’s expansion Shivering Isles.

I’ve seen many games go-online using the heavy fan-base of the franchise as main selling point, yet it always feels way too different than the original game to the point that most fans will hate it. As for TES series, despite the already great game mechanic, it usually relies on the modders to make the game much much more interesting. I just hope Betheda realised this and figure out a way to make Elder of Scrolls Online not just another MMO.